Have you visited the city’s oldest Ganpati pandals yet?

The city is immersed in festivities and has scene a celebratory mood taking over it in the past few days.

Bhopal is a city that welcomes all festivals with full vigour and the Ganeshotsav is no different. People of the city welcomed Bappa on Ganesh Chaturthi and are ensuring that his stay is not just restricted to the pandals, but also in the Bhopalites’ minds till Ganpati Bappa returns next year. We went to some of the city’s oldest Ganesha pandals and learnt how they are celebrating the festival this time around. Shri Navutsav Samiti,Purana Kabarkhana, JumeratiEstd: Circa 1973 (approx)More than 40 years old, this pandal has been one that attracts attention the most. Every year Shri Navutsav Samiti’s celebrations are the talk of the town. “I have been seeing the pandal since my childhood. I am 42 now and the pandal is even older. It started with a small pandal and the celebrations grew bigger. Today, the organisers have gone back to simple celebrations and spend around ₹1.5 lakh on the preparations every year. Thousands of people visit the pandal every day. A maha aarti is organised every year, which is when maximum number of devotees visit,” shared Monu Thakur, a shopkeeper from the area.

Shri Ganesh Utsav Samiti,Subhash ChowkEstd: Circa 1968Subhash Chowk is one of the busiest and oldest markets in town and is famous for its Ganeshotsav and Navratri celebrations. This Ganesha pandal is situated in the narrow lanes of old Bhopal, right at the center of the chowk bazaar.The pandal draws crowds due to the changing decorations around the Ganesha idol every day. Devotees contribute money that is used in decorations and offerings. “This has been our practice since 50 years. Our committee doesn't believe in spending money on very big idols. Instead, we spend on the decoration and shringar of Ganesha,” shared Vikas Goyal. Hindu Mitra Mandal,Sindhi Colony charahaEstd: Circa 1985This pandal has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 35 years. Earlier, the idol used to be installed at the chauraha but as the celebrations became bigger, it has shifted to a wider lane because of space constraints. “Me and a group of friends started the celebrations when we were young. Earlier we used to manage it in whatever savings we had, but today, we spend around ₹6 lakhs on the preparation and celebration. Every day we organise a bhandara and distribute food to the needy throughout the festival. On the last day, we organise a feast that is attended by more than 1000 people,” shared Ravi Bhurani, president of the Hindu Mitra Mandal. The idol this time is 15 ft tall and 32 ft wide. Nav Hindu Utsav Samiti,Itwara ChaurahaEstd: 1950Located in the center of busy lanes of Itwara chauraha, Nav Hindu Utsav Samiti, is the second oldest pandal of the city. The group spends around ₹1 lakh on the celebrations. “We have a set pattern of the idol, we bring it with Riddhi and Siddhi. Every year, its the same idol that we get. We organise a maha-aarti twice a day. This is the ritual that has been passed on since the beginning,” shared Anurag Jain.

Shri Dholgyaras Samaroh Samiti,

Peepal Chowk Estd: 1947Started under the Nawabi rule, this is said to be the first Ganesha pandal in the city. “Our forefathers initiated the practice of celebrating Ganeshotsav in the city under the peepal tree here. Nestled in the midst of the goldsmith market, the idol is decorated with real silver accessories. This practice has been passed on to us from our forefathers and the coming generations will also follow it,” shared Gaurav Agarwal, member of the organising committee. On the last day, the Ganesh Pandal offers laddoos in huge quantities to Ganesha.